Muriel has asked this podcast to be re-published in conjunction with the special story CNN is featuring this month. Hosted by CNN’s chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, “The Survival Project: One Child at a Time” examines what kind of action is required to stop the un-necessary deaths of children under the age of five.

Muriel’s special guest today is Ann Veneman, the executive director of UNICEF. Ms. Veneman assumed the leadership of UNICEF on May 1, 2005, becoming the fifth Executive Director to lead UNICEF in its 60-year history. Prior to joining UNICEF, Veneman served as the 27th Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture from 2001 to 2005.

As the children’s agency of the United Nations, UNICEF works on the ground in 156 developing and transitional countries to help children survive and thrive. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for poor countries, UNICEF works to advance the Millennium Development Goals by (more…)

Muriel chats with Dr Noel Brown, former Director of the United Nations Environment Program - who was one of the founders of UNEP, he worked there from 1973-1995 .

Dr. Brown, Former Director of UNEP (North America) and is now President, Friends of the UN

Dr. Brown has been considered an environmental diplomat and a great champion for the cause of earth. He spends a great deal of his time these days focusing on the Oceans, as a Member of the Board of Governors of the International Ocean Institute (IOI) and a director of (more…)

Elizabeth Dowdeswell’s eclectic public service career has spanned provincial, federal and international borders and transcended traditional disciplinary lines. Throughout, her focus has been on engaging the public in public policy-making; seeking innovation in the successful management of organizations through change; and, strengthening communications and education as means to achieve results. (more…)

Muriel hosts Mr. William Swope, Vice President and General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Intel Corporation.

Muriel learns a great deal about the other side of Intel - its philanthropic side which supports, among others, three flagship programs which enable education and enhance lives using technology as the basis for learning, empowerment and growth.

Learn how Intel is leading the way in providing key components for successful 21st-century learning environments for children around the world.

Intel® Education Initiative
Expanding What’s Possible
Read more here - www.intel.com/worldahead

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The Preamble to the Constitution of UNESCO declares that ‘since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed’.

UNESCO - the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was founded on 16 November 1945. For this specialized United Nations agency, it is not enough to build classrooms in devastated countries or to publish scientific breakthroughs. Education, Social and Natural Science, Culture and Communication are the means to a far more ambitious goal : to build peace in the minds of men. (more…)

Everyone knows Montel Williams is a very popular prime time TV show host. His fans also know he was diagnosed 9 years ago with Multiple Sclerosis. In this interview, Montel tells our listeners how they can join with him in a dazzling glamour gala where proceeds will go to fight MS and find a cure for this deadly disease.

We know how difficult it may be to find ways to make a difference in the world. We are all busy and maybe a little worn out listening to all of the woes of the world. Montel has a simple, convenient way for our listeners to help shut down this terrible disease that literally eats a person’s neural net, degenerating every function and system of the body in a long slow, painful spiral. No imaginary monster is as cruel.

So take a listen as we interview the master interviewer about joining his Poker Party Gala to beat MS. Yes…you can join in the glitzy, glamorous NYC Gala. After you listen, click here to find out more.

Today’s special guest is Dr. Helene Gayle; President and CEO of CARE USA. CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. We place special focus on working alongside poor women because, equipped with the proper resources, women have the power to help whole families and entire communities escape poverty. Women are at the heart of CARE’s community-based efforts to improve basic education, prevent the spread of HIV, increase access to clean water and sanitation, expand economic opportunity and protect natural resources. CARE also delivers emergency aid to survivors of war and natural disasters, and helps people rebuild their lives. Please visit care.org to learn more about how you can get involved. (more…)

Susan Davis is the President and CEO of BRAC/USA (Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee). brac.net/usa She will be yakking with us on a monthly basis on the follow up to the cyclone sidr. It’s very interesting what is happening and what the big and breaking news do not cover. I invited her to organize a yak with her team in Bangladesh, Susan is in Bangladesh now.

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Welcome to the world of playing with beams of light to make music. Listen as Muriel interviews Guy Sigalov inventor of Optimusic.

OptiMusic is the magic that allows you to travel on a beam of light to a world of images and sound. It starts when a beam of light is broken - and ends when imagination runs dry.
The system uses our patented sensor lights to create an interactive multimedia environment. In its simplest form, it is a switch controlled by light. The user simply breaks the spotlight beam and a sensor activates sounds, images and other events. Sounds simple but watch some of our videos to see what it can do. (more…)

Muriel and Susan have a delightful conversation about Search for Common Ground. Susan Collin Marks is the Vice President of this organization.

Search for Common Ground (SFCG) is an international non-governmental organization headquartered in Washington, DC. Since 1982, we have been working to transform the way the world deals with conflict: away from adversarial confrontation, towards cooperative solutions. Our organizational slogan, coined by a leader of South Africa’s African National Congress, is understand the differences, act on the commonalities. (more…)